Halloween...sending mixed messages?

Having been raised in the generation where getting your Halloween candy x-rayed before you ate it might have contributed to my skepticism about the up coming holiday, but I really don't get Halloween. Nor do I agree with the mixed messages it sends to our children.

Over the past 10 years or so, communities, schools, and churches have come up with tons of ideas to make Halloween safe - particularly trick or treating. I get that. Going door-to-door is kind of risky and sending kids out at night by themselves is just not smart. However, is allowing kids to get their candy from the trunk of a car a good idea (Truck or Treat)? Does anyone else see the mixed message here?

The point of particular conflict is that many churches are now doing this program and specifically encouraging the community to attend. Therefore, you have tons of kids accepting candy from strangers.

By a car.

Specifically by the truck of a car.

It just seems wrong to me.

I like the big community focused events. I worked for an institution that hosted a big Halloween Carnvial for the area kids. We'd get around 600 kids each year. There were silly games like cake walks and bean bag tosses, face painting, and of course CANDY! Kids got to come in costume, get candy, play games, and have fun. It was great. I realize that not every community has a university right there so it's a little harder, but ultimately it shouldn't be.

In light of my dis-gruntled attitude toward current programming, I might have to open my big mouth and offer to help coordinate something a little different for next year. Don't make a complaint unless you are willing to offer a solution, right?

All that said, I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween! Do you do anything special to celebrate this night?

Disclaimer...I'm not anti-Halloween. I've just never gotten that into it.

Are you a crasher?

It's on many people's bucket lists - crash a party/wedding/event. I can say, I've now crashed all three.

THE EVENT CRASH: About 8 years ago, The Husband and I were driving through a small New Mexico town called Mora. For anyone who hasn’t been through this area, let me describe it for you (at least how it looked at that time). It is quite an economically diverse town…okay not really. From the main street, it kind of looks like Juarez and Detroit had a child. My personal favorite aspect was the alarmingly high number of people who didn’t appear to have doors on their homes.

So, as we are driving through town to get to another area in New Mexico, we notice there is a large number of people on the side of the road with lawn chairs. Then we notice the emergency vehicles with blaring sirens and flashing lights. It finally occurs to us that this is some celebratory parade and we have somehow managed to get smack in the middle of it.

What did you do you ask? You guessed it…we rolled the windows down, smiled big, and waved to the crowd. I doubt we even stood out. I mean really, think about small town parades. Pretty much anything can be in it. Even a sweet 2001 Camry can make someone smile.

THE WEDDING CRASH: So we had these friends that we spent a pretty good amount of time with from 2002 to 2005. We attended the same church, we participated in the same small group bible study, we celebrated the 4^th of July and Columbus Day together. We even road -tripped it a couple of times. Suffice it to say, we knew each other well. When the time came for them to get married, we spent hours talking about the wedding plans and helping them get ready. So of course we just assumed we were invited to the wedding. On the night of the big event, we got dressed up and headed to the church to watch our good friends tie the knot. As we opened the door to the sanctuary we got that sudden feeling like something wasn’t right. There were about 7 people in the sanctuary. Seven. Total. We knew it was going to be small, but this was a bit of a shock. Turns out they had only invited their immediate family as this was a second wedding for one of them. They wanted just a small, private affair. However, once you’ve walked into a church and you are obviously dressed for the event at hand, you can’t really sneak back out – especially when there are only 7 people in there. So we sat through the wedding – which was beautiful – and then bolted for the door so we wouldn’t have to explain our arrogance at assuming we had been invited. Of course, they caught us once they returned from their honeymoon and said we should have stuck around, but we felt like total dorks. Not the wedding crash of the century for sure.

THE PARTY CRASH: The Husband and I attended West Texas A&M University and were highly involved throughout our college careers. He was even student body president at one point. However, one group neither of us ever joined was the President’s Ambassadors. This is a really prestigious group on campus that helps the campus president with special events. Although we never applied to this group, many of our friends were members. This past year was the university’s 100^th year anniversary so, of course we all rushed up to celebrate. Our little group of friends each had things to attend, but since so many over lapped we did a lot of it together. When it came time for the PA party after the football game, the group got ready to head over. The Husband and I said we weren’t ever members so we were going to head home. The group said we should just come with them and crash the party. So we did. It was kind of fun actually because the sponsors knew both of us very well and knew that we were never Ambassadors. When we walked in the door, one smiled big and threw arms around us. The other looked at us like we were unwelcomed houseguests. The expression was classic. We had several people come up to us and say they didn’t remember us being in the group…we just said, “We weren’t…aren’t these little smokies delicious?”

Those are my crasher experiences. They may have been accidental. They may have been small events. However, for someone like me, each was a big deal (I’m a rule follower to the extreme most of the time). Big or small, I can say I’ve crashed a parade, a wedding, and a party.

So…are you a crasher or is it still on your bucket list?

Hodgepodge...almost Wednesday

Keeping up with my goal of getting the Wednesday Hodgepodge done each week, I have read the questions provided by Joyce.

1. What is your favorite meal to serve on a chilly autumn evening?
Though it seems as thought it may be a while till I see fall, I love a delicious roast with mashed potatoes and green beans. Add a slice of homemade sourdough bread and I'm happy has a clam.

2. Are you a creature of habit? Explain.
I don't realy have many habits or routines, however, I've recently come to terms with the fact that I have some obsessive tendancies. I was reading The Help this week and couldn't put it down. I had seen the movie so I knew the main story line, however, I just had to finish it. Therefore, I ended up staying up till 6 in the morning and only getting 3 hours of sleep. That made me think and I realized I do that with a lot of things. It might take me forever to get a project or idea started, but once it is going, I HAVE to finish it. The Husband has had to suffer through show after show of all the episdoes of Psych, Monk, Numb3rs, Quantum Leap because I have this thing about finishing the season once I've started it. At least I'm getting my mony's worth from Netflix.

3. What food product (no longer available) do you remember from days gone by?
Not a clue unless you count the fact that things like veggie burgers are now made in a manner that make them not only edible but at times quite tasty. The ones I had as a kid (thanks Mom) were like eating cardboard with an extra dose of ketcup. By the way, I'm not a huge ketcup fan so it was even worse for me as a kid.

4. What's something you've lost that you've never been able to find? Any theories as to what happened?
Since The Wee One's arrival 3 years ago, we have gone through about 5 thermometers. I managed to find 2 of the lost ones when we moved, but the other 3 are still in limbo. My personal belief is that The Wee One was trading miscellaneous items to the house gremlins in return for an uninterrupted night's rest. I could be wrong, but she does sleep well through the night and were else could those thermometers have gone?

5. Zoo...circus...carnival. Your favorite?
I don't know really. In theory I like carnivals. They always look fun, but when I go to one, I never really do much. I don't like the food, I hate to throw money down the drain on the games, and the rides make me nervous. Zoos can be awesome, but we usually end up at them during the hot summer months and then they just aren't as much fun. I haven't been to a circus since I was about 6 or 7, although I do remember LOVING it. At this point in time, I guess I'll have to go with zoo, but I'm keeping circus on the list.

6. What song makes you feel instantly happy?
Got an immediate answer...I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. I just love it. It makes me smile and I cannot resist singing along no matter how many times I've heard it. It has a special place in my heart because it was super popular right after I'd had The Wee One and when I would get up in the middle of the night to nurse, I would turn on Vh1 to make sure I stayed awake (never could get that laying down nursing thing going). This song was one of 3 that always seemed to play during those early morning hours. When I hear it I think of her and that always makes me happy.

7. To what extent are you an argumentative person?
Probably way too much! I get on the defensive fairly easily. Plus, I am a talker to the extreme so I feel like I have to get my point out there and won't stop until I feel it has been vocalized effectively. It is actually one of my worst traits/habits, and although I do make serious efforts to change, I struggle with this constantly.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I had a meeting with some people at the institution where The Husband works today about the possibility of starting a peer education group on campus. Although I don't know that they have the time or resources to get it going at this moment, it was so great to get to talk about an area that I love so much and possibly plant the seed for them to get a group started. It's just so wonderful when you can share your passions with others.

Hodgepodge Wednesday - ON TIME!

Aren't you proud of me? I got this up on time for a change. It might have taken staying up until midnight to get it straight off the blog-press...but it's here...on WEDNESDAY! Thanks to Joyce for another round of great questions.

1. It is offically fall here in North America...I realize not everyone who participates in the Hodgepodge lives in North America, but if you do, what's your favorite memory of Summer 2011?
First off...the calendar might say fall, but the weather is not cooperating where I live. We racked up another 100+ degree day today and it is getting a bit depressing. That said...on to better things. Summer 2011 brought a lot of memories for us. We road-tripped (always good), watched family graduate, moved, started new jobs, and welcomed a new member to the larger family. I guess I'd have to go with a memory that includeds a dear friend. One of the Dramatic People visited us after we moved and helped me find the perfect dress for a gala we got invited to attend. Without her wonderful assistance, I would have had to either (1) hide in the TJ MAXX dressing rooms until The Husband got off work and could come assist me, or (2) ask the dressing room attendant to come in and possibly scar her for life. I'm sure The Wee One will need counseling after seeing her Momma fight like a dolphin stuck in a plastic soda can ring fight for freedom to get out of the dress(es) I tried on. I'm so grateful my friend was there to share my hysterical embarrassment - floppy boobs and all.

2. What is your favorite nut? The edible kind...
To eat raw I'd probably go with almonds. To eat in a crushed/creamed fashion, peanuts (peanut butter), to eat cooked in something, macadamia (white chocolate macadamia nut cookies!!!). I'm pretty easy to please as you can tell. : )

3. What activity puts your sense of balance to the test?
My question to this...do you mean mental balance or physical balance? Hum... Just kidding. Heights definitely challenge my balance. I get scared and my balance (or at least feels like it) starts to get a little off. Other than that, I'm pretty good.

4. How would you describe your sense of humor?
Off. No really, apparently I think things are hilarious that not all seem to agree upon. Some have described me as zany...that easily applies to my sense of humor. Some have described me as sarcastic. That too fits well. In general, I am easily tickled and can find humor in a variety of situations. On the funny note...if you haven't watched Community on NBC, you really need to. Rent seasons 1 & 2 and enjoy a good chuckle. If you don't laugh then you will see why some feel that my sense of humor is off because I find it one of the funniest shows ever!

5. September 28th is National Ask-A-Stupid-Question-Day. What's your stupid question?
There are no stupid questions... hahahaha So seriously, I don't know, but I can think of some stupid answers.

Yeah, I just played that. Sorry Miss South Carolina...you can't live it down. And no, your appearence on The Amazing Race did not help.
6. Roller skates - hula hoop - jump rope...which activity would you most enjoy?
Are we talking about when I was a kid or now? I would have to go with roller skates these days. First off The Wee One things Wonder Red on Super Why is way cool because she skates and she keeps putting imaginary skates on my feet and requesting that we skate around the house so we might as well do it for real, right? Second, it's just plain fun...and less embarassing than hula hooping at my age.

7. What is your most sentimental possession?
Tough call. Either my angel figurine that my great-grandma gave me a month before she passed (an angel watching over a small girl and boy), or my charm bracelet that The Husband and I started on our honeymoon. I collect a charm from each place we have visited together.
8. Insert your own random thought here.
This might sound super crazy, but I think I am going to write letters to 2 celebrities to thank them for being part of some TV shows that I feel greatly influenced my life. Alan Alda (M*A*S*H) and Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap). I own a few M*A*S*H seasons and I've been watching Quantum Leap on Netflix and I have been reminded of how impactful these shows were to me in my formative years and how much the reinforced the ideals presented by my mom - only more directly stated at times. Some might see this as sad, that I claim that TV helped shape my thoughts and ideals, but I'll be honest about it and say that these two shows really did. I watch them now and I can see how certain beliefs I have about how we should treat others were greatly influenced. I think it might be nice for these men to know that they made an actual difference in someone's life. Maybe not, but who knows.

Another late Hodgepodge

My goal this week was to actually get the Wednesday Hodgepodge done on Wednesday. As you can tell, that didn't exactly happen. It's been a pretty busy week - good but busy.

1. Do you like chili? Red or white? Beans or no beans? Spice or no spice? Toppings?

I do enjoy chili, but I have to admit, I've never made a traditional chili. I like beans in my traditional chili and throw a little chedder cheese on top and I'll be a happy camper. However, my favorite chili is a recipe I got from The Sister. It's Chicken Chili Stew and it is a little bit of heavenly deliciousness. Chicken, onion, garlic, bell pepper, pinto beans, tomatoes, (I've added some green chilies), cumin, chili powder, (add-in some cinnamon), salt and pepper. Top with cheddar cheese, guacamole (homemade is best), and sour cream. YUM!

2. Red-Orange-Gold...your favorite fall color?

Although The Husband would said I'm an "autumn" in my color scheme, I really don't care for most fall colors. I love red though - particularly cherry reds. So lovely.

3. Who did you idolize whe you were growing up?

I don't remember really idolizing anyone but I guess I would say that I deeply looked up to a teacher in middle school (Mary Anne Minto). She was like a second mom, but without all the mother/daughter stuff you get. She took me aside and taught me to really write - had to put her in my acknowledgements on my dissertation for that -but more than the typical teacher stuff, she respected me as a person and though there was definitely a line between student and teacher, she was my friend.

4. When was the last time you did something "arts and craftsy"? Share please.

Just a couple of days ago actually! I'm kind of proud of myself on these because as mentioned many times before, I'm not all that crafty. However, I was inspired by a gift that The Wee One got and really thought I could make something similar. I added my own spin and created what I think is a really cute dress...and then followed it up with a top - idea insipred by a wonderful friend (one of the Dramatic People).

5. What's a place that makes you really nervous?

The edge of a cliff. Metaphorically and in real life.

6. Horse back riding...yay or nay (neigh)?

I love to ride horse back, but don't get to very often - like once every 5 years or so. The first time I was on a horse I was around 2 years old and my mom allowed a friend of hers to take me for a little jot. From what I hear, I loved it early on and enjoy it every time I get to go now.

7. What is your favorite cliche?

I don't know that I have a favorite, but I definitely use them all the time. The hardest part is when I am teaching and talking about avoiding cliches in speeches. It never fails that that will be the class period that I end up saying a million cliches.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Tomorrow is the combined birthday party for The Wee One and myself. Our birthdays are a week apart and while she is still young we figured we might as well take advantage of the ability to combine the events. I am excited for the party, but already worn out. We haven't planned a big theme, don't have special events planned, really only invited family...however, it has turned into an actual EVENT. I know we will have fun, but I will be glad when it is done. At least I will be eating some yummy food and cake. Thanks to my wonderful cousin for offering to make mine for me. : )